Hamilton labels Vettel a ‘disgrace’
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP): AS DANIEL Ricciardo celebrated winning a hectic Azerbaijan Grand Prix yesterday, title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel clashed in a bitter incident that could shape the rest of an intriguing Formula One season.
Hamilton accused Vettel of “disrespectful” driving after the four-time champion pulled alongside Hamilton and appeared to deliberately swerve into him when they were behind the safety car approaching the midway point of a stop-start race.
“Ultimately, what happened today was disrespectful. It’s not deserving of that reaction from someone you have respect for,” Hamilton said. “A multi-world champion should behave better than that. It’s what you expect in go-karts. That’s not how you drive.”
Vettel, who is chasing a fifth world title to stop Hamilton winning a fourth, was given a 10-second time penalty for the incident. Hamilton, less angry in his media briefing than immediately after the race on television, maintained Vettel shunted him on purpose.
“It couldn’t be clearer. It’s clear as blue skies,” the British driver said. “Some people don’t like to own up to their own mistakes.”
After eight races of a see-saw season, Vettel’s Ferrari leads second-placed Hamilton’s Mercedes by 14 points — 153 vs. 139. They have won three each and — over the first seven races — both had spoken at length of their huge admiration for each other.
PRESSURE SHOWING
But this is the first time they have been main rivals for the title, and the pressure is showing.
“Today wasn’t fair play. Today was obviously a different Sebastian we’re seeing,” Hamilton said. “I like to think that I remain respectful and I’ll continue to do so. I want to win the championship the right way.”
Ricciardo secured his fifth career win, while Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas overtook 18-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll’s Williams in the closing metres to take second place.
Vettel finished fourth, while Hamilton was fifth.
The safety car came out three times in quick succession before a red flag stopped the race on lap 22 of 51 because debris littered the track.
Shortly before that, the Hamilton-Vettel incident occurred.
While behind a safety car, Hamilton, who was in the lead, appeared to slow his car right in front of Vettel — causing Vettel to drive into him. An irate Vettel then accelerated alongside Hamilton, gesticulated and moved his car to the right and into him.
Vettel thought Hamilton had slammed the brakes intentionally — which is known as braketesting — which Hamilton denied.
“The stewards looked at my data,” Hamilton said. “Clearly, I didn’t.”
Speaking on Britain’s Channel 4 television just after the race, Hamilton went as far as to say that Vettel “disgraced himself”, adding that “if he wants to prove he is a man, we should do it out of the car”.
But Vettel maintained that Hamilton was just as much to blame.
“If I get a penalty, then we should both get a penalty,” the German driver said. “He did something similar a couple of years ago in China at a restart. It’s just not the way to do it.”